Mountain Spring Parsley (Cymopterus montanus)

Taxonomy and growth

Family: Umbelliferae
Genus: Cymopterus
Life cycle: perennial
Height: 0.2 m
Fertility: self fertile
Flower type: hermaphrodite
Pollinators: Insects

Uses

Edible uses

Root - raw or cooked^[5]^[6]^[1]^[4]. The root is spindle-shaped and parsnip-like, but it is much softer, sweeter and more tender than a parsnip^[2]. It is used as a vegetable^[2]. The root has been peeled, baked then dried and ground into a powder and used as an occasional substitute for corn meal^[4]. Seed - raw or cooked^[4].

Plant part: Root

Plant part: Seed

Environment

Range: Central N. America - South Dakota to Nebraska, Wyoming, Colorado and Texas.
Habitat: Dry soils^[3]. Dry hills and valleys at elevations of 1200 - 2100 metres.
Light: full sun
Shade tolerance: no shade
Water: moderate
Soil textures: sandy, loamy, clay
Soil pH: acid, neutral, alkaline
Drainage: well drained
Tolerates Nutritionally Poor Soil: No
Drought: intolerant

Propagation

Seed - we have no information on this species but suggest sowing the seed in a cold frame as soon as it is ripe if this is possible. Sow stored seed as early in the year as possible in a greenhouse. As soon as they are large enough to handle, prick the seedlings out into individual pots and grow them on in the greenhouse for at least their first winter. Plant them out into their permanent positions in late spring or early summer, after the last expected frosts. Division in spring or autumn might be possible.

Cultivation

We have almost no information on the needs of this species and do not know if it is hardy in Britain. We suggest growing it in a sunny position in a well-drained light or medium soil[K].

Cymopterus acaulisPlains Springparsley
Cymopterus bulbosusBulbous Springparsley
Cymopterus fendleriFendler's Springparsley
Cymopterus globosusGlobe Springparsley

References

Tanaka. T. Tanaka's Cyclopaedia of Edible Plants of the World. Keigaku Publishing 1976-00-00
↩
Hedrick. U. P. Sturtevant's Edible Plants of the World. Dover Publications 1972-00-00 ISBN 0-486-20459-6
↩1 ↩2
Britton. N. L. Brown. A. An Illustrated Flora of the Northern United States and Canada Dover Publications. New York. 1970-00-00 ISBN 0-486-22642-5
↩
Moerman. D. Native American Ethnobotany Timber Press. Oregon. 1998-00-00 ISBN 0-88192-453-9
↩1 ↩2 ↩3
Uphof. J. C. Th. Dictionary of Economic Plants. Weinheim 1959-00-00
↩
Usher. G. A Dictionary of Plants Used by Man. Constable 1974-00-00 ISBN 0094579202
↩